CHAPTERIX
GRACECRAWLEYGOESTOALLINGTON
ThetidingsofwhathadbeendonebythemagistratesattheirpettysessionswascommunicatedthesamenighttoGraceCrawleybyMissPrettyman。MissAnnePrettymanhadheardthenewswithinfiveminutesoftheexecutionofthebail—bond，andhadrushedtohersisterwithinformationastotheevent。’Theyhavefoundhimguilty；theyhave，indeed。Theyhaveconvictedhim——orwhateveritis，becausehecouldn’tsaywherehegotit。’’Youdonotmeanthattheyhavesenthimtoprison？’’No；——nottoprison；notasyet，thatis。Idon’tunderstanditaltogether；buthe’stobetriedagainintheassizes。Inthemeantimehe’stobeoutonbail。MajorGrantlyistobethebail——andMrRobarts。
That，Ithink，wasveryniceofhim。’ItwasundoubtedlythefactthatMissAnnePrettymanhadreceivedanaccessionofpleasurableemotionwhenshelearnedthatMrCrawleyhadnotbeensentawayscatheless，buthadbeencondemned，asitwere，topublictrialattheassizes。AndyetshewouldhavedoneanythinginherpowertosaveGraceCrawley，oreventosaveherfather。AnditmustbeexplainedthatMissAnnePrettymanwassupposedtobespeciallyefficientinteachingRomanhistorytoherpupils，althoughshewassomanifestlyignorantofthecourseofthelawinthecountryinwhichshelived。’Committedhim，’saidMissPrettyman，correctinghersisterwithscorn。’Theyhavenotconvictedhim。Hadtheyconvictedhimtherewouldbenoquestionofbail。’’Idon’tknowhowthatallis，Annabella，butatanyrateMajorGrantlyistobethebailsman，andthereistobeanothertrialatBarchester。’’Therecannotbemorethanonetrialinacriminalcase，’saidMissPrettyman，’unlessthejuryshoulddisagree，orsomethingofthatkind。Isupposehehasbeencommittedandthetrialwilltakeplaceattheassizes。’
’Exactly——that’sjustit。’HadLordLuftonappearedaslictorandhadThompsoncarriedthefasces，MissAnnewouldhaveknownmoreaboutit。